Otto Addo wasn't fully committed to the Black Stars – Shilla Illiasu

Former Ghanaian professional footballer Shilla Illiasu Alhassan has opined that Coach Otto Addo was not totally committed to the team and its cause at the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Shilla Illiasu, a member of the Germany 2006 Black Stars squad, one of the four local players to represent Ghana at its first World Cup, was speaking to Class Sports.

“I think first of all Ghana we are fortunate to have one of the youngest squads as afar as Qatar 2022 is concerned. What it means is that as far as the future is concerned, we are up there [well positioned],” he observed.

“What we need is – I made it clear from the onset, we need someone to be a coach, not a part-time coach, someone to guide them [the players] for the next 3 to 4 years, give him the project, give him the time, give him the plan, let him understand the task at hand, that’s what we need.

“Because you look at the calibre of our players, right now they need somebody to guide them.

“Otto Addo was not that person; he was more of a part-time coach,” Shilla asserted.

“He had one leg in Ghana, one in German side Borussia Dortmund and it was difficult to concentrate on the Black Stars,” he stressed.

Invited to suggest a fitting figure for the Black Stars job, “For a candidate, I don’t have one,” was his response.

He however, added: “Chris Hughton, we know his pedigree, his calibre from Brighton & Hove Albion. If we are to appoint him, we need to do that on due diligence because we’ve set a bad precedent with Serbian tactician Milovan Rajevac, Otto and co.

“So, the Ghana Football Association has to make sure this time we are contracting a top top coach for the Black Stars,” the former Black Stars defender indicated.

The quest to find a new Black Stars head coach is on following Otto Addo’s resignation after Ghana’s exit at the ongoing 2022 FIFA QATAR World Cup.

On 24 May, 2022, the Ghana Football Association reposed faith in Otto Addo, Chris Hughton, George Boateng and Mas-ud Didi Dramani to lead the Black Stars to the biggest football competition on planet earth.

The quartet who masterminded Ghana’s qualification to the 2022 FIFA World Cup had a new task to ensure Ghana’s successful campaign at the Mundial and perhaps stay on for the 2023 AFCON qualifiers.

It is day eight since Otto Addo stepped down, and the search for his successor lingers with several reports emanating from the camp of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) that technical advisor Chris Hughton is set to take charge as the next gaffer.

Otto Addo’s resignation from the four-time African champion’s leadership role brings it to three coaches in the last two years failing to stay beyond an extended period of time.

On the part of ex- coach Charles Kwabla Akonnor, the GFA announced that he along with his two assistants, David Duncan and Patrick Greveraars, had been sacked after their contracts had been terminated, following an unconvincing win against Ethiopia and a defeat to South Africa in a World Cup qualifying match.

Milovan Rajevac also followed suit with a sack from the football association following Ghana’s abysmal performance at the AFCON in Cameroon, an early exit for the first time since 2006.

Ghana’s next assignment draws closer in March, the 2023 AFCON qualifiers against Angola (home and away) with a substantive coach set to be named by the Ghana Football Association.

Shills Illiasu currently works as an assistant coach to coaches Kwasi Appiah and Frimpong Manso at Kenpong Football Academy.